An independent review of how the B.C. justice system responds to intimate partner and sexual violence is calling for a major overhaul of how victims are treated, starting with the declaration of an epidemic and the appointment of an independent commissioner to oversee change.
Dr. Kim Stanton conducted the review at the behest of B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma, finding that one-third of women in the province over the age of 15 have been sexually assaulted and nearly half have experienced intimate partner violence.
Despite this, Stanton points out that 94 per cent of sexual assaults and 80 per cent of intimate partner violence go unreported to police.
"It's because too often survivors don't feel safe coming forward," she said at a Vancouver press conference on Tuesday, June 24. "They fear not being believed, re-traumatized or dismissed."
Stanton produced a comprehensive 250-page report on gender based violence with 21 recommendations. These include government-level actions such as the creation of a provincial committee to review deaths linked to gender-based violence; system-wide changes such as better educating and training police, court officials and others; and changes to the legal system to make justice more accessible and to make seeking it safer for victims.
Sharma said her office is reviewing the report and will make some immediate changes, such as creating and distributing guidance materials for how to obtain protection orders.
"While it will take some time to fully analyze the report and recommendations, we will immediately look at what we can do internally to improve how the legal system will treat survivors," she said.
She is also launching a cross-ministry committee to examine the report and its recommendations, while internally examining possible changes to B.C.'s Family Law Act, with an intentions paper expected to be released in the coming days.
